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Is the Church a Dynamic Force in the World?
At the end of the eighteenth century it was estimated that twenty-five per cent of the world was called "Christian." This was to use the term "Christian" very loosely, not Biblically. Even so, nearly two hundred years later it is estimated that less than eight per cent of the world can be so identified. Some have estimated as low as four per cent. This is sobering, especially when we realize how all that is called "Christian" most certainly does not deserve the name according to the Bible.
Yet, many who are truly Christians see no need for concern or alarm and are evidently content to bask themselves in the artificial light of indifference, lukewarmness and half-hearted service to God. If this year you earned twenty-five thousand dollars, but the next you would only earn eight, possibly four, would you be concerned? This is happening to the so-called "Christian" world, and still many sing, "I love thy kingdom, Lord," and will not even attend worship services faithfully, let alone govern their daily lives according to Biblical teaching.
Not many miles from where I once preached regularly, in one community there were about one hundred fifty families that stated in a census that they "preferred" the church of Christ and would be interested in establishing a new congregation. Yet, of those families two out of three were not even faithful at the time. They gave as their excuse, "There is no church nearby." Three to five congregations were within five miles of their residences. Some of these people drove from fifteen to twenty miles each day to their jobs. Such is an example of the spiritual poverty in the minds and lives of many who have been baptized. There is a void where there ought to be devotion, dedication and fervor for truth. That very attitude has sabotaged and nearly paralyzed the church for decades, and it has infected congregations everywhere. There is no excuse for it.
The Charge to Keep
Is the church today a dynamic force in the world? Jesus said, "Go ye therefore and teach oil nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things, whatsoever I have commanded you, and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." (Matthew 28:19,20). Far too many have never grasped the seriousness and extensiveness of the great commission. Without being cynical or belittling of noble efforts many have made and continue to make, too often the great commission in modern practice has been, "Go ye therefore and have some kind of church among people of good reputation and financial means, with a building the community will respect, hire a preacher, and conduct services."
You may think this is an unfair evaluation of things. But it is time for putty-minded and unstable brethren to awaken to the facts of reality regarding the churches of Christ and cease living in a make believe world that all is well or thinking the church is really packing a punch. Only in a few rare instances has the influence of professed New Testament Christians been felt with the distinctiveness that is supposed to characterize the faith of Christ.
In Jesus day the power of Rome spread its tentacles over most of the known world. There was an increasing degradation among the nations and a growing contempt for law and order. Religion was overrun by paganism and seemed to make little difference in the way people lived and conducted their lives. There was religion, but precious little righteousness.
Turned Upside Down
But the religious world suddenly shook from the impact of a force that was felt throughout the entire Roman Empire, The new faith became the main topic of conversation. It was discussed on every corner, and even in the palaces of the worldly elite. It aroused everyone from emperors to the lowliest beggars and humblest peasants. That new force was the faith of Jesus Christ and the influence His church was having in the world as the message of truth was being proclaimed.
What were these people who had been purchased by the blood of Christ doing to make such an impression? They were not trying to make an impression simply for the purpose of making an impression. That can be done many ways. They were preaching an unadulterated, uncompromised, pure and powerful gospel of Christ. They condemned the sins of men by the authority of God and proclaimed the way of salvation through Christ. They coupled their words with their deeds.
People from all walks of life took notice and many were added to their ranks. They insisted upon a loving submission to Christ and obedience to His will. Their efforts were often met with fierce, even violent, opposition, hatred, persecution and rejection.
But their faith was a dynamic force in their world. "They turned the world upside down" and "filled" the places where they lived with their message. The church everywhere was spoken against because it was known everywhere by the distinctive, authoritative inspired message it preached and lived. The world was not able to ignore it. They knew it existed and why. Those who opposed it could not withstand the truth. The truth was evidenced in the lives of the disciples. Can we say that this is the case with the churches of Christ in our own day?
Take a Look
Let us lift up our eyes and see our world. Theft, worldliness, immorality, drunkenness, divorce, drugs, false doctrines, atheism, humanism, riotous living, delinquency, indecency, pornography, lawlessness, wars, vice, abortion, child abuse, secularism, materialism, greed, evolution, crime and worldly living are running rampant and unchecked. These are the traits of our day. You need not trespass the boundaries of your own area where you live to note such crimes against both God and man among the populace. Why does not the Lord's church affect the world more effectively?
There are too many who sit in the pews of the buildings who would not have the pure gospel preached in the condemnation of sin if they had their way about it. They do not want anybody to cross anybody else regardless of what is being said or done. They prefer that all anybody does is to soothe the one next to him. Conformity to the world and compromise with error is more the concern of many than conversion to Christ and living like a Christian.
This world is a sinful place. "And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness." (I John 5:19). Since when has it been the case that God wants the sinner to be anything but ill at ease in the light of the gospel? The gospel is a gospel of peace only when people accept it and conform to It. Too many so-called "Christians" have swallowed compromise and sin and have sought the means of diplomacy, tact, scholarship and deception as the solution to man's ills rather than repentance and obedience to the truth. They have longed to "go along" with everything around them and have decided to they will not walk in the "old paths, where is the good way." (Jeremiah 6:16). They seek religious respectability before the community at the sacrifice of the narrowness and precision of the gospel and the person, Jesus Christ. Such is an embarrassment to them. They are ashamed of the gospel. There is such a need for brethren who will send forth sound words and sound doctrine and condemn the sins of the world and proclaim the way of holiness as the only way like the Bible teaches. We have for too long drifted away from that to have much of an impact on anybody. How can we expect to be a dynamic force in the world for good when we have become so much like the world? Surely, one reason persecution is seldom coming from the devil is because we are not bothering him very much.
Beg Brethren
Something is dreadfully amiss when professed believers have to be begged to even worship regularly. Only about one out of five can be aroused to really be concerned about sending the gospel to places other than where they are. Some have the money to build playgrounds and gymnasiums but have no money to help struggling works less than a day's drive from their cathedral-like buildings and playrooms. We have such little concern for the Far and Middle East, South America, etc., as well as vast regions in our own nation that know not God. Being bogged down in pettiness, having to expend so much of our energies in fighting a rearguard action against liberalism and digression, the church has retreated into a declining position. There is more concern among many with building colleges than establishing congregations. Those who want to follow the New Testament pattern are being ridiculed as old-fashioned, uneducated traditionalists. Money, men and materials have been channeled into gimmicks and gadgets for getting crowds and what have we reaped? The church has fewer and fewer people who really know and stand for the truth and less influence than anytime in our lifetime. Just why some persist in wanting to follow the lead of those who have led us into paths of decline is beyond us to understand.
The politics among preachers and the propaganda of compromise among papers has dulled the sensitivity of brethren to the seriousness of sin and the mission of the church. While the early church turned the world upside down the world today scarcely knows the churches of Christ exist.
The first church would not allow people to think one god was just as good as the true God. They would not compromise any point of truth for advantage to themselves, for business, power, prestige, popularity or advancement. They declared in no uncertain terms the "whole counsel of God" and people knew the difference between truth and error whether they accepted that difference or not. The early church was not afraid of being labeled as extremists and radicals when they were only standing for the truth. They knew what they believed and practiced and knew why. Their faith was extreme and radical compared to the heathenism, paganism and sinfulness around them. They were neither ashamed nor afraid to be persecuted for righteous sake.
They refused to look upon Jesus Christ as only one among many alternatives. They considered Him the One and exclusive way to God and said so. Their view of their faith was that it was applicable to the whole world, not just a few. The gospel is for all because all need the gospel because all have sinned and all need to be saved. They were not content to simply preach to themselves and among themselves, but went out into the world.
They did not enter the service of Christ with reservations, but with a commitment to follow Him in every way, every day. They did not put the things of this life first. They would not condone sin among themselves. They were willing to die before they would surrender God's truth.
It Could Be
The church today could be a dynamic force in the world, but it is not fair to say that the anemic demonstration of faith we see today is much of a force. We must return to the way, manner and message of the early church when it did make an impact on the world. We must regain a world-wide view of things. Many do not even have a very wide community view. Some are content to "go along" with just about anything, everything, anybody and everybody if it involves friends, favorites or family. Too many are happy to just "keep house" and "play church." Well, that will not get done what God expects us to get done. Such conduct may ease the consciences of some but it will not save the lost nor retain the saved.
When we realize the world must be staggered into the realization that it is doomed in sin and bound for hell, then possibly some in the world will be sufficiently aroused to Investigate the truth. Before we save the world we must shake the world from its complacency and indifference toward God and sin. We have to challenge people before we can change them to God's way. We must show the world that being a Christian makes a difference before we can convince them that it does by mere words.
Is the church a dynamic force in our world? Only in spots here and there, now and then. As we said before, most do not even know the New Testament church exists or that It matters whether it exists or not. They are steeped in this world, In various religions, in nothingness, to the point that the feeble presentation of a compromised message that too often Is being preached does not make an Impact. But that can change. Whether it will or not remains to be seen. What do you Intend to do about it?